Francesca Lia Block, winner of the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards
Award, is the author of many acclaimed and bestselling books,
including Weetzie Bat; the book collections Dangerous Angels: The
Weetzie Bat Books and Roses and Bones: Myths, Tales, and Secrets;
the illustrated novella House of Dolls; the vampire romance novel
Pretty Dead; and the gothic werewolf novel The Frenzy. Her work is
published around the world.
David Diaz has illustrated numerous award-winning books for
children, including smoky night by Eve Bunting, for which he was
awarded the Caldecott Medal; The Wanderer by Sharon Creech, which
received a Newbery Honor; and Me, Frida by Amy Novesky, a Pura
Belpr� Honor Award winner. Mr. Diaz lives in Southern California.
"Fleshing out one of the colorful characters introduced in "Weetzie Bat, "Block displays the brilliant, original vision that makes all of her books unforgettable."--"Kirkus Reviews""Here, more purposefully than ever, Block weaves a safety net of words for readers longing to feel at home with themselves."--"School Library Journal"
Embroidering her prose with lushly romantic imagery, Block returns to the world of Weetzie Bat for this keenly felt story. A prequel of sorts to Weetzie Bat, the novel opens while Weetzie's best friend Dirk is still a child, lying on his mat at naptime. ``Dirk had known it since he could remember''-known, that is, that he is gay. Tenderly raised by Grandma Fifi, famous for her pastries and her 1955 Pontiac convertible, Dirk struggles with love and fear: ``He wanted to be strong and to love someone who was strong; he wanted to meet any gaze, to laugh under the brightest sunlight and never hide.'' After his first heartbreak, with his closest friend (who cannot accept Dirk's love nor his own for Dirk), Dirk battles more fiercely for identity; beaten up by a gang of punks, he slumps into semiconsciousness and is visited by his ancestors, each telling a haunting, lyrical tale of love, faith and self-acceptance. What might seem didactic from lesser writers becomes a gleaming gift from Block. Her extravagantly imaginative settings and finely honed perspectives remind the reader that there is magic everywhere. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)
"Fleshing out one of the colorful characters introduced in "Weetzie Bat, "Block displays the brilliant, original vision that makes all of her books unforgettable."--"Kirkus Reviews""Here, more purposefully than ever, Block weaves a safety net of words for readers longing to feel at home with themselves."--"School Library Journal"
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